Binder and fastening device for the same



()ct. 3, 1950 R. H. WENDT 2,524,688

BINDER AND FASTENING DEVICE FOR THE SAME Original Filed June 2'7, 1946 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Oct. 3, 19 50 BINDER AND FASTENING DEVICE FOR THE SAME Robert H. Wendt, Evanston, Ill.

Substituted for abandoned application Serial No. 679,773, June 27, 1946. This application May 10, 1949, Serial No. 92

her 17, 1948.

The present invention relates to binders and fastening devices for binders of the type having a pair of covers and sheet metal portions for securing the covers together and for passing through the documents to be bound between the covers.

The present application is a substitute duplicate application of my prior application, Serial No. 679,773, filed June 27, 1946, on Binders and Fastening Devices for the Same.

One of the difficulties with the binders of the prior art of this type lies in the fact that whenever it is necessary to remove one paper from the interior or the lower part of a stack of papers in such a binder, one must lift off all the papers which are above it, and even though one tries to hold the apertures in alignment, this becomes practically impossible, since there is nothing to hold the papers except the fingers of the operator, and it is especially difficult when the operator is going to remove one document from the remaining assembly.

Another disadvantage of the devices of the prior are lies in the fact that there is considerable waste in the manufacture of those devices.

Another disadvantage of the devices of the prior art is that the fastening devices require the manufacture of two separate units, one of which supports the prongs and the other of which supports the sliders which secure the prongs in a bent-over condition.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of an improved binder and fastening device which is so arranged that the binder may be taken apart at any point for removal of one or more documents, the fastening devices still holding the sheets in alignment so that it is a simple matter to take them apart, lay them down, remove such documents as are desired, and put them together again.

As distinguished from the devices of the prior art, in which it is frequently necessary to rearrange documents, sheet by sheet, after they have been removed, the-present binder can be put together again at any point by merely reinserting the prongs which are guided by complementary prongs carried by the other section.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved fastener for binders ofthe class described which requires the manufacture of only one unit, two of which are employed in any binder, so that it is not necessary to have dies for two separate articles, nor is it necessary to keep in stock two different kinds of units.

,284. In Canada Decem- 3 Claims. (01. 24-153) metal than the devices of the prior art by virtue of the fact that its prongs are punched out of the body of the fastener and thus it is unnecesary to assemble separate prongs with a body, and it is unnecessary to have prongs which extend longitudinally from one end of the body, which involves a waste of material on both sides of each prong.

'Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved fastener structure which utilizes a minimum amount of material, and which may be constructed of various types of material, which may be used over and over again, and which is adapted to lock the papers tightly in the covers, and to minimize the possibility of the papers being torn by the prongs.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved fastener and binder assembly, which is simple, capable of economical manufacture, easy to manipulate, economical of material, sturdy, and adapted to be used for a long period of time without noticeable wear.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

- Referring to the single sheet of drawings,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a stack of documents which have been secured together by one of my fasteners;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view in partial section, ShOWlng the assembly of two of my fasteners with a stack of documents;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the fastening de-' Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the plane of the line 6 6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a sectional View taken on the plane of the line 7-7 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the right end portion of a modified form of fastener having an aperture 29 in place of the slot 27; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the structure shown at the lower left hand corner of Fig. 2.

The present fastenin devices may be used with or without covers, and the cover may be regarded as merely another of the pack of sheets l0 which are to be secured together by the present fastens Referring to Fig. 2, the binder assembly includes the sheets or documents If! and a pair of fasteners H and [2 which may be identical in construction, but are oppositely located. The sheets IE! are punched with suitable round apertures I2, I4, located to correspond substantially with the location of the prongs l5, [6 upon a fastener ll.

Both of the fasteners being identical in structure, it is only necessary to describe one of them. Each fastener comprises a fiat body ll of sheet metal, such as tin. This body is preferably provided from end to end with a pair of upwardly extending pressed reinforcing ribs l8, l9. The ribs preferably project upward from the opposite side toward which the prongs l5, I6 project.

The width of the body I! may vary, and, if desired, the body may be made'wider and may be provided with additional reinforcing ribs like the ribs [8, E9. The length of the body I! is preferably slightly greater than the space between the holes l3 and [4, so that the body ll overlies and projects beyond the holes I3, If in the documents.

The prong i5 is formed by providing a pair of elongated slits 23, 2|, joined by a partially circular end slit 22, leaving the prong i5 joined to the body ll only at the end portion 23, Fig. 3. The extra length of the body I! leaves the portion 212 overlapping the hole i3 and engaging on all sides of the paper at the hole, which improves the securement over the devices of the prior art, which only have a body on one side of the hole.

At the opposite end the prong I6 is formed by cutting similar slits, leaving the pron joined at the point 25. However, it is necessary, when two such fastening devices II and I2 are used, as shown in Fig. 2, to provide an aperture or slot through which the prong of the other fastener is to extend. Therefore, the end portion 26 of the body ll is provided with a slot 21 which is as wide as the prongs l5 or IE5. Between the slot 2! and that formed by punching out the prong I 8, the body is preferably formed with atransverse stamped reinforcing rib 28. In some embodiments of the invention the slot 2'! might be confined to a relatively small aperture 29, as shown in the fragmentary illustration, Fig. 8.

Each fastener body I! is preferably provided with a pair of sliders, those on the fastener H bein indicated at 3i), 3!, and those on the fastener l2 at 3 The sliders 30, 33 are identical in shape, and, therefore, only one need be described. Slider 35], Fig. 6, comprises a relativel narrow strip of sheet metal which preferably has its body portion 34 provided with a pair of inward offsets 3.5, 36, so that the body 34 comes in close to the flat central portion 31 of the body l1.

Beyond the offsets 35, 36, the slider extends over each of the ribs IS, l9, and is bent downwardly around the edge of the body I! at 38, 39. The ends of each slider 30 extend under the body I! and may be curved upwardly at 40, 4| into the grooves formed on the side opposite to the ribs l8, [9. The slight space at 42 between the body 3 3 and the flat part 31 of the body ii is for the prongs of the opposite fastener, which are bent over as shown in Fig. 2 and confined between the slider and the body [1.

In order to explain the arrangement of Fig. 2, the separate numerals 43 and M are applied to the prongs of the lower fastener I2, while the fastener II has its prongs indicated by Hi and 16, as previously mentioned. The fasteners must be oppositely located end to end, so that the slot 21 at one end of the fastener l l is located toward the right above, and the same type of slot is located toward the left below, in Fig. 2.

The sheets II], which have their holes [3 located to register with the prongs on both fasteners, are then assembled on the prongs of one of the fasteners, such as the prongs 43, 44 of the fastener 12. Then the opposite fastener ll is placed on top and its prongs l5 and I6 are passed down the same apertures adjacent to the prongs 43, 44.

The prong 44 passes through the slot 21 in the fastener H. The prong l5 passes through the slot 21 in the fastener :2. The prong I6 passes through the aperture 45 of the fastener 12. The ends of the prongs are then bent over toward each other on each of the fasteners II and i2, and the sliders are moved back over the ends of the prongs to hold them tightly to the bodies 11 of both fasteners, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2.

It will thus be observed that when the sheets are so assembled they are held by two fasteners, each of which has prongs. When it is desired to separate the assembly, the prongs can be bent out to the right-angle position, and straightened, and then the sheets may be separated so that one part of the sheets remain on one fastener and the other part remains on the other fastener.

A sheet may be removed in this manner without permitting the sheets to come apart, or another sheet, or more, may be added while the stack of sheets is separated into two units, each held by a fastener. After the sheet desired has been removed or inserted on one or the other of these units, it is a simple matter to pass the prongs back through the papers adjacent the other prongs, as the prongs assist in guiding each other through the sheets.

One of the greatest disadvantages of the devices of the prior art, that is, the difficulty of inserting sheets or removing them, is thus eliminated. The present binder may be opened at any point like a ring binder for insertion or removal of sheets.

As the prongs are punched out of the body of the fastener a great deal of material may thus be saved which would otherwise be wasted where the pron forms an extension at each end of the fastener. In some of the devices of the prior art the manufacturers have sought to save material by punching out prongs separately and assembling them with bodies, but that involves additional labor, and also involves several types of dies.

The present fasteners are all identical, and only one set of dies is employed. Furthermore, only one type of fastener is required, and only one type need be kept in stock. Therefore, the present fastener may be made more economically than the devices of the prior art, and it also accomplishes its purpose more efficiently and permits the insertion or removal of sheets as readily as a ring binder.

In some embodiments of the invention the holes 29 may be omitted and the .prongs of the opposite fastener may be bent over between the sheets and the body II or l2.

It is also possible to ship the present fasteners in a minimum amount of space, as the prongs l5 and [6 may be located preliminary to their use in the apertures 45 which would be formed by punching out the prongs, and the prongs would not need to be bent downward at right angles until they are ready for use. The sliders are,

5 of course, slid on the body If from the left end of Fig. 3 to the central portion 3'! before the prongs l5 and it are bent downward.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but de* sire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention; what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A fastener for binding double apertured pa per sheets in a stack separable between two sheets into two bound units, comprising an elongated sheet metal body for engaging the face of the stack, said body having a pair of longitudi" nally extending reinforcingribs, and said body extending over and beyond said apertures, the said body having a pair of prongs punched out of the body and bent upwardly at substantially right angles and located to be inserted in said apertures toward one side of said apertures, said body utilizing one of he openings formed by punching a prong to receive the prong of a similar fastener, and said body having an opening in its other end beyond the adjacent prong, for receiving the other prong of a similar fastener, and a pair of sliders on said body for sliding overthe prongs of said similar fastener to hold said latter prongs in a bent-over and. binding condition.

2'. A fastener for binding double apertured paper sheets in a stack separable between any two sheets into two bound units'comprising an elongated sheet metal body for engaging the face of the stack, said body having a pair of longitudinally extending reinforcing ribs, and said body extending over and beyond said apertures, the

said body having a pair of prongs punched out of the body and bent upwardly at substantially right angles and located to be inserted in said apertures toward one side of said apertures, said body utilizing one of the openings formed by punching a prong, to receive the prong of a simtion, the said prongs of both fasteners being located to pass through the same two apertures in the paper sheets, and the prongs being punched out of the body portions in such direction that the prongs initiall extend toward each other.

3. A fastener for binding double apertured paper sheets in a stack separable between any two sheets into two bound units, comprising anelongated sheet metal body for engaging the face of the stack, said body having a pair of longitudinal- 1y extendingreinforcing ribs, the said body having a pair of prongs punched out of the body and bent upwardly at substantially right angles and located to be inserted in said apertures toward one side of said apertures, said body utilizing one of the openings at one end formed by punching a prong to receive the prong of a similar fastener, and said body being provided with an open space at its other end, beyond the adjacent prong, to pass the other prong of a similar fastener, and

a pair of sliders on said body for sliding over the prongs of said similar fastener to hold said latter prongs in a bent-over and binding condition.

ROBERT H. WENDT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

